This invention relates generally to an integrated refueling shutoff sensor and fuel tank vent assembly for automatic shutoff fast fill refueling of vehicles without pressurizing the fuel tank, and more specifically relates to an integrated jet fluid level shutoff sensor and fuel tank vent assembly used in conjunction with a dual valve receiver designed to support automatic shutoff fast fill refueling of vehicles without pressurizing the fuel tank.
Currently, refueling receivers work in conjunction with fast fill automatic shutoff nozzles that require a tank back pressure build up in order for them to shutoff. In order to use a pressurized refueling system, the fuel tanks have to be structurally designed to withstand internal pressures of up to 10 psi. This current system of automatic shutoff fast fill refueling therefore can not be utilized in machinery with fuel tanks of a lighter construction that can benefit from fast fill refueling.
Currently available refueling systems that predominantly rely on a back pressure generated within the vehicle's fuel tank for operation of an automatic shutoff nozzle also require a separate fuel tank vent or ventilation system to allow for the breathing of the fuel tank during refueling and/or vehicle operation. Maintaining a vehicle's fuel tank fully vented during vehicle refueling meets safety and environmental concerns, by minimizing tank over-pressurization and tank overflow that is commonly associated with conventional pressurized refueling systems. Separate installation of a fuel level sensor and a vent or ventilation system is time consuming and costly. It would therefore be desirable to provide an integrated jet fluid level shutoff sensor and fuel tank vent assembly, in which the fuel tank vent is fully integrated with the jet fluid level shutoff sensor, to improve ease of use and to facilitate installation and maintenance of a fuel tank vent or ventilation system, for use in conjunction with a non-pressurizing fuel tank receiver that would allow for full venting during refueling in conjunction with use of an automatic shutoff refueling nozzle. The present invention addresses these and other concerns.